UPND violence threats condemned
THE Patriotic Front (PF) has condemned the alleged threats of violence made by UPND Vice President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, GBM and Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo in Chilanga District on Thursday.
PF Media Director Sunday Chanda said the UPND vice president was reported to have instructed his supporters in Chilanga that the campaign would be `Panga for Panga,’ literally calling for a blood bath like Mapatizya.
In a statement issued to Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Chanda also claimed that the Mazabuka Parliamentarian had also added to the calls for violence.
“These sentiments are uncalled for and should there be any violence in Chilanga Constituency, the UPND Vice President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and his counterpart, the Mazabuka parliamentarian must be held personally responsible. These threats speak to UPND’s violent scheme to unleash its brutal Mapatizya formula in Chilanga district and we are calling on the Police to be on high alert.
“On the same score, the PF is calling for clean and violencefree campaigns and calls on its members to exercise maximum restraint when provoked by the opposition. We urge all our members to report all incidences of provocation and violence to the Zambia Police,” said Mr Chanda.
He also saluted UPND members and residents of Chilanga Constituency who had protested Mr Hakainde Hichilema insensitive decision to adopt a candidate who was a co-accused in the murder of Namakau Kalila Kwenda.
“The UPND leadership has also insulted the family of deceased Namakau Kalila Kwenda, a security guard at Mukata’s law firm at the time. Clearly, the UPND leadership does not understand that had Namakau Kalila Kwenda’s life been spared, this by-election was not going to happen. This by-election has come about because innocent blood was shed and there still remains uncertainty as to who could have pulled the trigger. UPND has blood on its hands and they know it.
Mr Chanda said it was unfortunate that UPND does not seem to know or care to understand who else was at the crime scene when Kwenda ceased to breathe after being murdered in cold blood.
“The residents of Chilanga Constituency must demand that the UPND Candidate explains what she knows about the murder of Namakau Kalila Kwenda.
“She must tell Zambians and the people of Chilanga who have been deprived of a Member of Parliament what exactly happened on that fateful night when Namakau Kalila Kwenda breathed his last. This is because while she exercised her right to remain silent in the Courts of law, she can no longer do so in the Court of public opinion. She has a duty to come out clean as someone seeking public office, considering that she was the only co-accused to the murder which resulted in the Hon Mukata’s conviction.
He said while the UPND candidate was acquitted by the courts of law, it was not clear whether or not she had been acquitted in the court of public opinion.